"Always reachable" Mindset is Above 40 Percent, led by Russia, China and Turkey

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NUREMBERG, Germany, June 22, 2016 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

    Internationally, 42 percent of the online connected population agree

firmly[1] with the statement "To me, it is important to always be reachable

wherever I am" - and only 11 percent firmly disagree[1]. However, four

countries - Germany, Sweden, Canada and Netherlands - run counter to this

trend, with more of their connected consumers firmly disagreeing than

agreeing.  

    According to a GfK survey of 22 countries, Russia and China have the

highest levels of people online who agree strongly that it is important to them

to be always reachable, wherever they are, standing at 56 percent each. They

are followed by Turkey at 53 percent. These are the only countries surveyed

where over half of their connected consumers agree strongly with that concept.

Mexico comes close, with 50 percent, but there is then a drop to the next

closest country: Poland at 41 percent.

    Running against that international trend are Germany, Sweden, Canada and

Netherlands. These countries are the only ones in the survey where greater

numbers firmly disagree than agree with the idea that it is important to be

always reachable.

    In Germany, just over a third (34 percent) disagrees strongly with that

idea compared to 16 percent who firmly agree. They are followed by Sweden at 28

percent versus 22 percent, Canada at 24 percent versus 23 percent, and the

Netherlands at 23 percent versus 22 percent.

    Nearly half of 30-39 year olds say "always reachable" is important

    Amongst the different age groups, people in their thirties show most

leaning towards wanting to be always reachable - standing at nearly half (47

percent) firmly agreeing that it is important. Next come those in their

twenties, at 45 percent, followed by teenagers (15-19 years old) at 43 percent.

Those in their forties run a very close fourth at 42 percent. However, for

people aged 50 and over, the perceived need to be always reachable drops off

significantly - standing at a third (33 percent) of those in their fifties and

just 29 percent of people aged 60 and over.

    "Always reachable" demand is only slightly higher among women

    Looking at the difference between genders, women are slightly more likely

than men to see being always reachable wherever they are as being important (43

percent women versus 40 percent men). When it comes to those who firmly

disagree with it being important, the difference is even narrower, standing at

10 percent of women and 11 percent of men.

    To download the complete findings for each of the 22 countries, please

visit http://www.gfk.com/global-studies/global-study-overview/

    Footnotes

    [1] bottom two boxes and top two boxes from a seven point scale, where "1"

means "do not agree at all", and "7" means "agree completely".

Source: GfK